Water-Wise It™ – Cool Season Lawns

Water Wise It ™ – Creating a Water-Wise Lawn!

What watering schedule is best for a cool season lawn?

Here is the recommended watering schedule for a cool season lawn. This schedule recommends applying the water in a single application if possible. Sandy loam soil is the best soil type to accomplish this, but follow the adjustments below if you don’t have the optimum soil type.

Watering Schedule for Cool Season Grasses

Ultimately it depends on what type of soil your lawn is drawing water from. While the best soil for your lawn is sandy loam, we know that not every lawn will be exactly like this. So we have recommendations for all three basic soil types!

Sandy Soil

Sandy: Because of the structure of sandy soil, watering a full inch in one sprinkler cycle won’t be effective because the water filters through the soil much quicker than in other soils which means the water falls deeper than the roots before the lawn is able to absorb it. Therefore we recommend watering every other day and applying the same amount of water that is on the schedule. For example, during the heat of the Summer (July) apply 1/3″ every other day. This still applies a full inch every 6 or 7 days, but allows the grass to soak up the moisture before it drops below the root level.

Sandy Loam Soil

Sandy Loam: Sandy Loam is the ideal soil type and you should be able to follow the watering schedule directly. DO NOT SET YOUR CONTROLLER AND FORGET IT! You need to adjust your watering schedule to accommodate for differing temperatures and natural precipitation!

Clay Soil

Clay: Clay Soil compacts easily, restricting roots and preventing air, water, and nutrients from getting down to root level. Make sure that you are aerating a lawn growing on a clay soil 1-2 times in a year. Clay soil can prevent water from forming a deep water table and can cause run off. There is an easy solution to this, cut your watering time in half and cycle your system twice in one day. This will allow an air pocket to form between cycles and will push down the moisture as it goes into the lawn, helping the water from running off the lawn.

If you start following the watering schedule at the beginning of the season you should be able to cut your watering to around 24″ in a year. If you start training your lawn during higher temperatures you will need to take time to train the lawn to thrive on a differing water schedule. To do this start adding an extra day between your watering. Once the lawn has developed a deeper root system you will be able to cut back the amount of water you apply each week by filling up the water table with each watering cycle.

Plug Aeration

Aeration of lawns on all types of soil is recommended at least once per year. Aeration combats compaction of the soil and allows Air, Water and Nutrients easier access to the roots. And leave the plugs on the lawn so that they can break down and return organic material to the soil, and then you will need less fertilizer to keep your lawn healthy.

For more maintenance recommendations for your lawn and ideas on how to Water-Wise It™ download our Lawn Care Guide at www.chanshare.com or email questions to larry@chanshare.com.